ANTARCTIC O-3 DEPLETION AND ITS CORRELATION WITH SOLAR-FLARE INDEX

The paper presents the effect of solar flare index on Antarctic O-3 de pletion. Solar flare index is the actual representative of energy outp ut of any flare event. A calibration curve between solar flare index a nd relative sunspot number is drawn. (A straight line is obtained and correlation coefficient between two variables is 0.95, n = 27, P < 0.0 1). The equation of straight line from least square principle becomes, Solar Flare Index (I-f) = 1.0932 Relative Sunspot Number - 9.4391. From this equation solar flare index for long period is calculated fro m known values of relative sunspot numbers. O-3 concentration of two a ntarctic Survey Stations, Halley Bay (76 degrees S, 27 degrees W) and McMurdo (78 degrees S, 166 degrees E) are considered for analysis and following results are obtained: (i) Correlation coefficient between O- 3 concentration and solar flare index during Antarctic Spring is not s o significant. (ii) It is concluded that dramatic decrease of O-3 conc entration during Antarctic Spring is independent of solar parameters.